Lifestyle
During REM sleep, the brain chemical norepinephrine, which helps regulate memory, is suppressed. This makes it harder to recall dreams.
Dreams occur during the REM stage, but memory consolidation happens during the non-REM stage. If we wake up before entering non-REM, dreams may not be stored in long-term memory.
High levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and acetylcholine can suppress dream recall. These chemicals help regulate the sleep-wake cycle and can affect memory consolidation.
Poor sleep quality, sleep disorders, or fragmented sleep can disrupt normal sleep cycles, leading to reduced dream recall.
Dream recall tends to decrease with age. Younger adults tend to remember more dreams than older adults.
If we don't prioritize dream recall or don't practice recording our dreams, we may not develop the habit of remembering them.